Wireless reader system

ABSTRACT

An electronic system including a mobile device that communicates with a reader device. In one embodiment, the mobile device may be configured as a mobile phone and the reader device may be configured as an electronic reader associated with an electronic lock. One or more devices in the system may determine the position of the mobile device in relation to the reader device, and cause an electronic lock or another type of access control device to perform a selected function based at least in part on the position of the mobile device in relation to the reader device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/684,110 filed Aug. 16, 2012 and U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/684,118 filed Aug. 16, 2012, the contents ofeach application incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a unique wirelessreader system. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices,hardware, methods, and combinations for a wireless reader system.Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantagesof the present application shall become apparent from the descriptionand figures provided herewith.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The description herein makes reference to the accompanying figureswherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout theseveral views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an access controlsystem according to one form of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary computing device.

FIG. 3 is a schematic flowchart of an exemplary process for operating alock.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an exemplaryimplementation of the access control system illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram illustrating another exemplaryaccess control system.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram illustrating another exemplaryaccess control system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of theinvention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated inthe drawing and specific language will be used to describe the same. Itwill nevertheless be understood that no limitation on the scope of theinvention is hereby intended. Any alterations and further modificationsin the described embodiments, and any further applications of theprinciples of the invention as described herein are contemplated aswould normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates.

With reference to FIG. 1, illustrated therein is a system 100 accordingto one form of the present invention. The system 100 generally includesa mobile device 102 in wireless communication with a reader device 108.The system may further include a location determining system 101 inwireless communication with the mobile device 102, a server 114, and/ora processing system 116. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the system100 is directed to an access control system. However, other embodimentsare also contemplated wherein the system 100 may be directed to apayment system, a transit system, or other types of control systems. Inone aspect of the access control system 100, the location determiningsystem 101 may be a global positioning system (GPS). However, it shouldbe understood that other types of location determining systems 101 arealso contemplated for use in association with the present inventionincluding, for example, location determining systems that utilizecellular communication signals.

The mobile device 102 includes a transceiver 104 that allows the mobiledevice 102 to communicate data with another device such as, for example,the reader device 108. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the mobiledevice 102 is a mobile phone such as, for example, a smartphone. In someembodiments, the transceiver 104 is provided with Bluetooth or BluetoothLow Energy (BLE) capabilities. However, it is contemplated that thetransceiver 104 may utilize a different communication protocol such as,for example, near field communication (NFC), Wi-Fi (e.g., Wi-Fi Direct),and/or any other appropriate communication protocol known to thoseskilled in the art. In other embodiments, the transceiver 104 may alsobe provided with GPS capabilities, or the mobile device 102 may beprovided with a separate element that provides GPS capabilities. It isalso contemplated that the mobile device 102 may include more than onetransceiver 104. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the transceiver 104is a passive device, while in other embodiments the transceiver 104 isan active device. In still other embodiments, the mobile device 102 mayinclude an inertial measurement unit 105 configured to sense measure thevelocity, acceleration, orientation, and/or gravitational forces of themobile device 102. The inertial measurement unit 105 may include asingle or multi-axis accelerometer, a single or multi-axis gyroscope ormagnetometer, a compass, and/or any combination thereof. The measurementof acceleration may include measuring and/or determining directionalacceleration.

The mobile device 102 may also include one or more applications 106 thatprocesses data related to the location of the mobile device 102 such as,for example, data received from the location determining system 101. Theapplication 106 may further process data relating to a credential thatallows the mobile device 102 to operate one or more electronic lockswhich may be associated with the reader device 108, and/or data relatingto the velocity, acceleration, orientation, and/or gravitational forcesof the mobile device 102 as sensed by the inertial measurement unit 105.It is contemplated that the application 106 may include more than oneapplication to carry out the various operations described in the presentapplication.

The mobile device 102 may be configured to send secure data using thetransceiver 104 and the application 106 to the reader device 108, andthe reader device 108 may be configured to verify the secure data. Insome embodiments, the reader device 108 is also configured to send thesecure data, if verified, to the processing system 116. The processingsystem 116 may include a control panel, or any other control system orpanel that uses a credential or unique identifier. For example, theprocessing system 116 may process the secure data to determine whether auser of the mobile device 102 should be allowed access to anaccess-restricted area. However, in some embodiments, the reader device108 may perform the analysis and make the decisions that may otherwisebe handled by the processing system 116.

In some embodiments, the processing system 116 may be a network bridgethat communicates with wireless devices (not shown) for controllingand/or monitoring items in a residential home. The network bridge mayreceive information from the reader device 108 and cause a wirelessdevice to perform an action based on the information. The network bridgemay also report information to the server 114 and/or receive commandsfrom the server 114.

In certain embodiments, the mobile device 102 may additionally utilizethe location determining system 101 to determine the location of one ormore of the reader devices 108, may store the location of one or more ofthe reader devices 108 in memory, and/or may download the location ofone or more of the reader devices 108 from the server 114. Duringinstallation of the reader devices 108, a GPS may be used toautomatically locate the reader device 108 and program data relating tothe location of the reader device 108 into the access control system 100such as, for example, into a database in the server 114. Additionally oralternatively, after installation of the reader device 108, theinstaller could program the reader device 108 to have knowledge of itsown location, either using a GPS or by direct programming. The readerdevice 108 may then communicate this location to one or more of themobile device 102, the server 114, and/or the processing system 116.

The reader device 108 is configured to communicate with the mobiledevice 102 to receive a credential, secure data, location information,and/or any other useful information for processing. The reader device108 may be part of system for access control, payment, transit, vending,or other applications of interest. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1,the reader device 108 is integrated into or used in association with anelectronic lock assembly. The reader device 108 may include atransceiver 110 that allows the mobile device 102 and the reader device108 to communicate with one another, preferably wirelessly. In someembodiments, the transceiver 110 is a Bluetooth transceiver that allowsthe mobile device 102 and the reader device 108 to communicate via aBluetooth connection. It is also contemplated that the Bluetoothconnection is a BLE connection.

It is contemplated that the transceiver 110 may include both a longerrange communication capability and a shorter range communicationcapability. The longer range communication capability may, for example,be used to establish a relatively long-range connection zone in whichthe mobile device 102 may establish a connection with the reader device108. The shorter range communication capability may, for example, beused to establish a relatively short-range activation zone in which theaccess control system 100 causes a selected function to be performed.The longer range communication capability and the shorter rangecommunication capability may be implemented using GPS, received signalstrength indication (RSSI) related, for example, to Bluetooth or BLEsignal strength, and/or any other suitable technology for determiningposition. For example, the mobile device 102 may connect to the readerdevice 108 in the connection zone, and then the mobile device 102 maycommand the reader device 108 to lock or unlock an electronic lockassociated with the reader device 108 when the mobile device 102 is inthe activation zone. The reader device 108 may also include anapplication 112 that processes data related to the mobile device 102. Itis contemplated that the application 112 may include more than oneapplication to carry out the various operations described in the presentapplication.

When in communication with the reader device 108, the mobile device 102may communicate data relating to the relative position of the mobiledevice 102 so that the reader device 108 can make one or more decisionsbased on the relative position of the mobile device 102. The mobiledevice 102 may be in direct communication with the reader device 108, orthe communication may be routed to the reader device 108 through one ormore intermediate devices such as, for example, the server 114 and/orthe processing system 116. Furthermore, the decisions may be madelocally by the reader device 108, or by another device which has accessto the data relating to the relative position of the mobile device 102.For example, the decisions may be made by one or more of the mobiledevice 102, the server 114, and/or the processing system 116. It is alsocontemplated that the server 114 may provide a cloud service such as,for example, a cloud-based intelligent home system that allows a user tocontrol, interact with, and/or monitor devices in a residential home viathe server 114.

Given the ability of a smart mobile device 102 (such as a smartphone orsmart credential) to communicate relative position and speed, anestimate of when a user would be in close proximity to the reader device108 and/or would need to interact with the reader device 108 can becalculated. This ability can provide not just an auto-unlock feature,but also an auto-open feature or other types of features that areautomatically performed such as, for example, wirelessly transmitting amessage to a wireless device, locking a door, opening a door, closing adoor, ringing a doorbell, or automatically performing any other desiredfeature. In one non-limiting embodiment, a user may carry the mobiledevice 102 on his/her person such that the location and speed of theuser can be determined via determining the location and speed of themobile device 102. The access control system 100 may utilize this datato calculate/estimate when the user will arrive at the associated readerdevice 108.

In some forms, the calculation/estimation is performed once the mobiledevice 102 is within a pre-determined range of an associated readerdevice 108. The reader device 108 may then automatically unlock a door(or another type of access control device) as the user arrives at thereader device 108. Other functions/features may also be incorporatedinto the system such as, for example, automatically opening a door thatis associated with the reader device 108, automatically closing a door,locking a door recently used, or any combination thereof.

The access control system 100 may also utilize the location determiningsystem 101 to determine if the mobile device 102 needs to activelysearch for locks to unlock. The application 106 can know which sites'locks it is allowed to unlock, and if it is not within a predeterminedrange of those sites, then the application can auto-disable to savebattery life. For example, if a mobile device 102 is out of range of anyassociated lock/reader devices 108, then the application 106 may commandthe mobile device 102 to stop looking for these associated lock/readerdevices 108, and may shut down or power down the wireless connection inorder to conserve battery life on the mobile device 102.

Use of the location determining system 101 can also allow certaincommands to automatically be sent to the reader device 108. For example,if a user carrying a mobile device 102 walks through the door, themobile device 102 could be configured to auto-lock the door (e.g.,auto-privacy, auto-apartment, or any other auto-function) based uponwhich mobile device 102 passes through the door or in proximity to thereader device 108. The mobile device 102 may additionally oralternatively be configured to provide commands according to any customconfiguration programmed into the application. The reader device 108 mayadditionally or alternatively be programmed to do different things whendifferent mobile devices 102 pass through the door or in proximity tothe reader device 108. For example, a reader device 108 may beprogrammed to auto-lock when a child's mobile device 102 enters thehome, but not when an adult's mobile device 102 enters the home.

In one aspect of the invention, the server 114 may communicate with themobile device 102 over the Internet, a cellular data network, or anycombination thereof. The server 114 may provide the application 106 tothe mobile device 102. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the server 114is a web server. However, it is contemplated that the server 114 may beanother type of server, and that the server 114 may include more thanone server. It is also contemplated that the server 114 may include twoor more servers that are owned and/or operated by differententities/parties.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a computing device 200 accordingto at least one embodiment of the present invention. The computingdevice 200 is one example of a mobile device, reader device, server,and/or processing system configuration that may be utilized inconnection with the mobile device 102, the reader device 108, the server114, and/or the processing system 116 illustrated in FIG. 1. Thecomputing device 200 includes a processing device 202 that executesalgorithms and/or processes data in accordance with operating logic 208,an input/output device 204 that enables communication between thecomputing device 200 and one or more external devices 210, and memory206 which stores data received from the external device 210 via theinput/output device 204.

The input/output device 204 allows the computing device 200 tocommunicate with the external device 210. For example, the input/outputdevice 204 may include a transceiver, a network adapter, a network card,an interface, or one or more communication ports (e.g., a USB port,serial port, parallel port, an analog port, a digital port, VGA, DVI,HDMI, FireWire, CAT 5, or any other type of communication port orinterface). The input/output device 204 may include hardware, software,and/or firmware. It is contemplated that the input/output device 204 mayinclude more than one of the adapters, cards, or communication ports.

The external device 210 may be any type of device that allows data to beinputted or outputted from the computing device 200. For example, theexternal device 210 may be a mobile device (such as the mobile device102), a reader device (such as the reader device 108), a handheldcomputer, a diagnostic tool, a controller, a computer, a server (such asthe server 114), a processing system (such as the processing system116), a printer, a display, an alarm, an illuminated indicator such as astatus indicator, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen display, and/orother electronic equipment. Furthermore, it is contemplated that theexternal device 210 may be integrated into the computing device 200. Itis further contemplated that there may be more than one external devicein communication with the computing device 200.

The processing device 202 can be a programmable type, a dedicatedhardwired state machine, or any combination thereof. The processingdevice 202 may further include multiple processors, Arithmetic-LogicUnits (ALUs), Central Processing Units (CPUs), Digital Signal Processors(DSPs), or the like. Processing devices 202 with multiple processingunits may utilize distributed, pipelined, and/or parallel processing.Processing device 202 may be dedicated to performance of just theoperations described herein, or may be utilized in one or moreadditional applications. In the depicted form, the processing device 202is of a programmable variety that executes algorithms and/or processesdata in accordance with operating logic 208 as defined by programminginstructions (such as software or firmware) stored in memory 206.Alternatively or additionally, the operating logic 208 for processingdevice 202 is at least partially defined by hardwired logic or otherhardware. The processing device 202 may include one or more componentsof any type suitable to process the signals received from input/outputdevice 204 or from other components or devices, and to provide desiredoutput signals. Such components may include digital circuitry, analogcircuitry, or a combination of both.

Memory 206 may be of one or more types of non-transitorycomputer-readable media, such as a solid-state variety, electromagneticvariety, optical variety, or a combination of these forms. Furthermore,memory 206 can be volatile, nonvolatile, or a combination of thesetypes, and some or all of memory 206 can be of a portable variety, suchas a disk, tape, memory stick, cartridge, or the like. Additionally,memory 206 can store data that is manipulated by the operating logic 208of processing device 202, such as data representative of signalsreceived from and/or sent to the input/output device 204 in addition toor in lieu of storing programming instructions defining operating logic208, just to name one example. As shown in FIG. 2, memory 206 may beincluded with the processing device 202 and/or coupled to the processingdevice 202.

With reference to FIG. 3, an exemplary process 300 which may beperformed using access control system 100 is illustrated therein.Operations illustrated for the processes in the present application areunderstood to be examples only, and operations may be combined ordivided, and added or removed, as well as re-ordered in whole or inpart, unless explicitly stated to the contrary. Unless specified to thecontrary, it is contemplated that certain operations or steps performedin the process 300 may be performed wholly by the mobile device 102, thereader device 108, the server 114, and/or the processing system 116, orthat the operations or steps may be distributed among one or more of theelements and/or additional devices or systems which are not specificallyillustrated in FIGS. 1-3.

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic flow diagram of the exemplary process300, including determining whether a connection is desired between themobile device 102 and the reader device 108, verifying the credentialsof the mobile device 102 and/or user, determining whether activation ofthe reader device 108 and/or another apparatus is desired, selecting thefunction to be performed, and performing the function.

The process 300 begins at operation 302 in which the mobile device 102and/or the reader device 108 determines the position of the mobiledevice 102. The mobile device position may be determined, for example,using a location determining system such as GPS, RSSI, and/or any othersuitable technology or systems for determining position.

The process 300 then proceeds from operation 302 to operation 304. Atoperation 304, the mobile device 102 and/or the reader device 108 maycompare the determined location to a connection zone in which aconnection between the mobile device 102 and the reader device 108 maybe established.

The process 300 then proceeds from operation 304 to operation 310. Inoperation 310, the mobile device 102 and/or the reader device 108determines whether connection between the mobile device 102 and thereader device 108 is desired, based at least in part upon the comparingperformed in operation 304. The determining in operation 310 may bebased upon the position of the mobile device 102. For example, if themobile device 102 is not positioned within the connection zone, it maybe determined that no connection is desired 310N, in which case themobile device 102 and/or reader device 108 does not seek to establish aconnection for a predetermined time period in operation 312. Thedetermining in operation 310 may also take into account one or moreadditional factors, such as the speed at which the mobile device 102 istraveling, and/or the direction in which the mobile device 102 istraveling.

If in operation 310 it is determined that a connection is desired 310Y,the long range communication capability of the reader device 108attempts to identify the mobile device 102 in an operation 314. Thereader device 108 may attempt to establish initial contact with themobile device 102, and/or the mobile device 102 may attempt to establisha connection with the reader device 108. This connection may be made,for example, via Bluetooth including BLE, Wi-Fi including Wi-Fi Direct,and/or other communication protocols. As previously noted, theconnection may be made directly to the reader device 108, or may berouted through an intermediate node, such as the server 114 and/or theprocessing system 116.

Once the connection is made between the mobile device 102 and the readerdevice 108, the mobile device 102 may send or transmit a credential,other secure data, and/or an identifier to the reader device 108 inoperation 316. Operation 316 may include a message being transmittedfrom the reader device 108 to the mobile device 102, and/or the mobiledevice 102 transmitting credential information only after verifying thatthe message includes data which identifies the reader device 108 asauthorized to receive credential information from the mobile device 102.Operation 316 may be performed in any manner known in the art, and thecredentials may utilize encryption for enhanced security.

The credential information may include a secured code stored on themobile device 102 and/or a PIN or passcode input by the user into themobile device 102. If the mobile device 102 includes one or moreinertial measurement units 105, the credential information mayadditionally or alternatively include data relating to the motion of themobile device 102. For example, a user may make a predetermined gesture,such as waving or rotating the mobile device 102, and data from theinertial measurement unit 105 may transmitted as at least a portion ofthe credential information. The mobile device 102 may further beconfigured to transmit data relating to additional or alternative useractions. For example, the credential information may only be transmittedonce the user taps a button.

The process 300 then proceeds from operation 316 to operation 320 wherethe credential is analyzed to determine whether the mobile device 102 isauthorized to activate the reader device 108. If the credential is notverified 320N, the process 300 proceeds to operation 312, in which theconnection may be terminated. The disconnecting in operation 312 mayinclude, for example, the mobile device 102 and/or the reader device 108ceasing to seek a connection for a predetermined time period.

If the credentials are verified 320Y, the process 300 proceeds tooperation 322. At operation 322, the mobile device 102 and/or the readerdevice 108 may determine the current location of the mobile device 102to determine if the mobile device 102 is in an activation zone.

Process 300 then proceeds from operation 322 to operation 330. Atoperation 330, the reader device 108 determines whether activation ofthe reader device 108 is desired based at least in part upon the resultsof the comparing in operation 322. The determining in operation 330 maybe based entirely upon the position of the mobile device 102 in relationto the activation zone, or may take into account one or more additionalfactors, such as the speed of the mobile device 102 and/or the directionin which the mobile device 102 is traveling.

In the illustrated embodiment, the mobile device 102 and the readerdevice 108 remain in at least intermittent communication while themobile device 102 is within the connection zone. In other embodiments,the communication may cease once the credential has been verified inoperation 320Y. In such embodiments, the longer-range communicationsignal may be terminated, and the determining operation 330 may beperformed once the shorter-range signal reacquires the mobile device 102in the activation zone. Alternatively, the longer-range communicationcapability may operate in a reduced-power mode in which the longer-rangecommunication signal establishes the activation zone. In either case,the reader device 108 may include a time-out feature which returns thelonger-range communication signal to full power if the mobile device 102does not enter the activation zone within a predetermined time period.Alternatively, the time-out feature may indicate that activation is notdesired 330N, and the process may continue as in the illustrated process300.

If it is determined that activation is not desired 330N, the process 300proceeds to operation 334. In operation 334, the position of the mobiledevice 102 is updated, and the process 300 returns to the operation 322in which the newly updated position is compared to the activation zone.The process 300 may also include a delay 332 between determining thatactivation is not desired 330N and the updating operation 334. Theduration of the delay may be based, for example, upon the distancebetween the current position of the mobile device 102 and the activationzone, the speed of the mobile device 102, and/or the direction in whichthe mobile device 102 is traveling. For example, if the mobile device102 is traveling toward the reader device 108 at a low rate of speed,the delay 334 may be of a greater duration than if the mobile device 102is traveling toward the reader device 108 at a high rate of speed.

If it is determined that activation is desired 330Y, the process 300proceeds to an operation 340. In operation 340, a function to beperformed by the reader device 108 and/or any other devices in theaccess control system 100 is determined or selected. In the illustratedprocess 300, the selecting in operation 340 is performed after thedetermining in operation 330. In other embodiments, the process mayutilize the time between the communication being established inoperation 314 and the determining that activation is desired 330Y toperform operation 340. Furthermore, the function to be performed may bethe same for some or all of the conditions (in which case operation 340may be omitted), or may be selected based upon one or more criteria 342,such as the credential presented, the activation zone in which themobile device is positioned, and/or the direction in which the mobiledevice 102 is traveling.

In certain embodiments, the selecting in operation 340 is based at leastin part upon the credential provided to the reader device 108 during thecredential transfer in operation 316. In such embodiments, a firstcredential may result in a first function being selected in operation340, while a second credential may result in a second function beingselected in operation 340. By way of non-limiting example, if the readerdevice 108 is associated with an electronic lock, the first function maybe include unlocking the lock, and the second function may includeringing a doorbell, turning on a light, opening a garage door, and/orsending an alert to a homeowner that the person to whom the secondcredential was issued has arrived. It is contemplated that multiplefunctions may be performed based on a single credential beingtransmitted to the reader device 108.

The selecting in operation 340 may be further based on various aspectsof the credential information. For example, if the credentialinformation includes both a secure code and a gesture, the secure codein combination with a first gesture may result in a first function beingselected, and/or the secure code in combination with a second gesturemay result in a second function being selected. In this manner, the userof each mobile device 102 may cause different functions to be selectedand performed based on personalized gestures, PIN codes, and/orpasswords.

The selecting in operation 340 may additionally or alternatively bebased at least in part upon the activation zone in which the mobiledevice 102 is positioned. For example, the reader device 108 mayrecognize or establish multiple activation zones, in which case a firstfunction may be selected when the mobile device 102 is in a firstactivation zone, and a second function may be selected when the mobiledevice 102 is in a second activation zone.

In further embodiments, the selecting in operation 340 may additionallyor alternatively be based at least in part the position and/or thedirection of movement of the mobile device 102. For example, a firstfunction may be selected if the mobile device 102 is traveling towardthe reader device 108, and a second function may be selected if themobile device 102 is traveling away from the reader device 108.

Once the function has been selected in operation 340, the process 300proceeds to operation 350. In operation 350, the function selected inoperation 340 is performed. Once the function has been performed inoperation 350, the process 300 may return to operation 302, in which thelocation of the mobile device 102 is determined, and the process 300 maybegin again.

In the illustrated embodiment, the process 300 advances automaticallyfrom one operation to the next. However, it is also contemplated thatthe process 300 may require additional authentication between certainoperations. For example, a user may be required to provide additionalauthentication in order to advance from one operation to the next. Byway of non-limiting example, the user may be required to perform agesture with the mobile device 102 in order to begin the selecting inoperation 340, or may be required to input a PIN code to the mobiledevice 102 in order to begin performing the function in operation 350.

In certain embodiments, the mobile device 102 and the reader device 108may continue to communicate for at least a portion of the time betweenthe initial communication being established in operation 314 and thefunction being performed in operation 350. During this time, the mobiledevice 102 and/or the reader device 108 may continue to transmit data toone another, such as data relating to additional authenticationprocedures, software updates, and/or audits. In such embodiments, thelonger the time between the initial credential presentation in operation316 and the function being performed in operation 350, the more time isprovided for computation, authentication, and encryption, for example.In further embodiments, the data may continue to be transmitted afterthe function is performed in operation 350 until a loss of communicationbetween the mobile device 102 and the reader device 108. In suchembodiments, if the longer-range communication signal was previouslyreduced in power or terminated, the signal may be returned to fullstrength in order to increase the amount of time before loss ofcommunication between the mobile device 102 and the reader device 108.

The various aspects of the process 300 illustrated and described abovemay be implemented in operating logic 208 as operations by software,hardware, artificial intelligence, fuzzy logic, or any combinationthereof, and/or at least partially performed manually by a user oroperator. In certain embodiments, operations represent software elementssuch as, for example, a computer program encoded on a computer readablemedium, wherein the mobile device 102 and/or the reader device 108perform the described operations when executing the computer program.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary access control system 400 which mayperform one or more operations of the process 300. It is contemplatedthat the access control system 400 may alternatively be configured as apayment system, transit system, and/or any other system that utilizes acredential or unique identifier. The access control system 400 includesan access-controlled region 404 accessible via a door 406 on which areader device 408 is installed on or positioned in close proximity, aconnection zone 410 in which a remote access device 402 may connect tothe reader device 408, and a first activation zone 412 in which theremote access device 402 may cause a function to be activated. Thesystem 400 may further include a second activation zone 414 such as, forexample, within the access-controlled region 404. The access controlledregion may be an apartment, an office, a garage, or any other region towhich a user may desire to have convenient access, while stillpreventing access to unauthorized persons. In the illustratedembodiment, the access-controlled region 404 is a user's home, and thereader device 408 is associated with an electronic lock.

The remote access device 402 may be, for example, the mobile device 102illustrated and described above including, for example, a smartphone, afob, a tablet, a laptop computer, a smartcard, or any other devicecapable of establishing a communication connection with the readerdevice 408. Furthermore, the reader device 408 may be provided with acapability of communicating with multiple types of remote access devices402. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the remote access device402 is a smartphone having a GPS capability such that the remote accessdevice 402 can determine its position, and a BLE capability such thatthe remote access device 402 can communicate with the reader device 408.It is also contemplated that the remote access device 402 may includeonly one of these capabilities, or that the remote access device 402 mayinclude other capabilities in addition to or in lieu of one or more ofthese capabilities.

The reader device 408 may include a longer-range communicationcapability and a shorter-range communication capability. Thelonger-range communication capability may, for example, be used tocommunicate with the remote access device 402 when the remote accessdevice 402 is in the connection zone 410. The shorter-rangecommunication capability may, for example, be used to communicate withthe remote access device 402 when the remote access device 402 is in theactivation zone 412.

In the system 400, the remote access device 402 determines its positionin relation to the reader device 408, for example, by processingposition data received via the GPS capability, or RSSI data receivedand/or determined via the BLE capability. For example, the remote accessdevice 402 may determine its location via the GPS, and compare thatlocation to the location of one or more known reader devices 408 todetermine if a connection should be established with a reader device408. Additionally, the remote access device 402 and/or the reader device408 may be provided with a capability for determining the speed and/ordirection of movement of the remote access device 402 using one or moreof the GPS and/or RSSI data. For example, an increasing RSSI signal mayindicate that the remote access device 402 is approaching the readerdevice 408, a diminishing RSSI signal may indicate that the remoteaccess device 402 is moving away from the reader device 408, and arapidly increasing or decreasing RSSI signal may indicate a greaterspeed of the remote access device 402 than a slowly increasing ordecreasing RSSI signal. It is contemplated that once a connection isestablished, the remote access device 402 and/or the reader device 408may reduce the transmit power their Bluetooth or BLE transceivers toconserve energy and/or to aid in determining the position of the remoteaccess device 402.

In certain embodiments, the operation of determining whether aconnection should be established may be based only on the position ofthe remote access device 402. For example, if the remote access device402 and/or the reader device 408 determines that the remote accessdevice 402 is within a connection zone 410, the remote access device 402may attempt to establish a connection with the reader device 408 via theBluetooth or BLE capability, or the reader device 408 may attempt toestablish a connection with the remote access device 402 via theBluetooth or BLE capability. If the remote access device 402 and/or thereader device 408 determines that the remote access device 402 is notwithin a connection zone 410, or has moved outside of a connection zone410, the Bluetooth or BLE capability may be inactive or be deactivatedto conserve power. When the remote access device 402 determines that itis not near a connection zone 410, the remote access device 402 maycommunicate this circumstance to a server such as, for example, theserver 114. If the remote access device 402 is not near the connectionzone 410, the reader device 408 may go into a low-power or sleep modeuntil the remote access device 402 approaches the connection zone 410.In one embodiment, when the reader device 402 is in a low-power or sleepmode, the Bluetooth transceiver in the reader device 408 may still beactive, but other circuits in the reader device 408 may be in thelow-power or sleep mode. In this way, the reader device 408 will stillbe able to use the Bluetooth transceiver to detect when a remote accessdevice 402 enters the connection zone, which may then wake-up thecircuitry in the reader device 408 that is in the low-power or sleepmode.

In other embodiments, the operation of determining whether a connectionshould be established may also take into account one or more additionalfactors, such as the speed at which the remote access device 402 istraveling, and/or the direction in which the remote access device 402 istraveling. For example, if the remote access device 402 a is travelingalong a first path P1 which crosses through the connection zone 410, butis not in the direction of the activation zone 412, the remote accessdevice 402 a and/or the reader device 408 may determine that the remoteaccess device 402 a is merely passing through the connection zone 410.This may indicate that the user carrying the remote access device 402 adoes not wish to approach the reader device, and that no connectionshould be established. If the remote access device 402 b is travelingalong a second path P2 in the direction of the activation zone 412, theremote access device 402 and/or the reader device 408 may determine thatthe user carrying the mobile device is 402 b wishes to approach thereader device 408, and that a connection should be established.

After a connection is established between the remote access device 402and the reader device 408, the remote access device 402 may transmitcredential information to the reader device 408. As described above, thecredential information may include data relating to a gesture, action,and/or secured code stored on the remote access device 402 and/or thereader device 408. Once the credentials are verified, the reader device408 delays activating a function such as, for example, locking,unlocking, opening, and/or closing the door 406, until the remote accessdevice 402 and/or the reader device 408 determines that activation isdesired.

Determining whether activation is desired may be based entirely on theposition of the remote access device 402 in relation to the activationzone 412, or may take into account one or more additional factors suchas, for example, the speed at which the remote access device 402 istravelling and/or the direction in which the remote access device 402 istraveling. For example, if the remote access device 402 c is travelingalong a third path P3 which crosses through the activation zone 412, butis not in the direction of the reader device 408, the remote accessdevice 402 and/or the reader device 408 may determine that the usercarrying the remote access device 402 c is merely passing through theactivation zone 412, and activation is therefore not desired.

If the remote access device 402 d is traveling along a fourth path P4 inthe direction of the reader device 408, the remote access device 402and/or the reader device 408 may determine that the user carrying theremote access device 402 d is approaching the reader device 408, andactivation is therefore desired.

Once the system 400 determines that activation is desired, one or moreelements of the system 400 may perform one or more functions. Thefunctions performed may be based upon any number of factors such as, forexample, the credential information of the remote access device 402, theactivation zone in which the remote access device 402 is positioned,and/or the position and/or the direction of movement of the remoteaccess device 402.

In certain embodiments, the functions performed by system 400 may beselected based, at least in part, on the activation zone in which theremote access device 402 is positioned. In embodiments which includeboth a first activation zone 412 and a second activation zone 414, afirst function may be selected when the remote access device 402 is inthe first activation zone 412, and a second function may be selectedwhen the remote access device 402 is in the second activation zone 414.For example, when the remote access device 402 is within the firstactivation zone 412, the function may include automatically unlockingthe electronic lock associated with the reader device 408, therebyallowing the user to enter the access-controlled region 404. If theremote access device 402 is within the second activation zone 414, thefunction may include automatically locking the electronic lockassociated with the reader device 408 when the door closes so as toprevent unauthorized access to the access-controlled region 402 shouldthe user forget to manually lock the door 406. Furthermore, the system400 may be configured to recognize a hierarchy of activation zones. Forexample, if the remote access device 402 is positioned in an area wherezones overlap, the system 400 may prioritize the functions associatedwith one activation zone over the functions associated with the otheractivation zone.

In further embodiments, the functions performed by system 400 may beselected based at least in part upon the position and/or the directionof movement of the remote access device 402. For example, if the remoteaccess device 402 d is traveling along the fourth path P4 toward thedoor 406, the function may include automatically unlocking the lockassociated with the reader device 408, thereby allowing the user toenter the access-controlled region 404. If the remote access device 402e is traveling along a fifth path P5 away from the door 406, thefunction may include automatically locking the lock associated with thereader device 108 so as to prevent unauthorized access to theaccess-controlled region 402 should the user forget to manually lock thedoor 406.

Referring to FIG. 5, illustrated therein an exemplary system 500including a wireless device 502 (e.g., a smartphone) communicating withan electronic lock 504 so that the lock can pro-actively make decisions.An application may be installed on the wireless device 502 and mayutilize a location determining utility such as, for example, a GPS, todetermine the location of any given lock as well as the location ofitself.

In one non-limiting embodiment, the location and speed of the user,through the location and speed of the wireless device 502 on theirperson, can be used to calculate/estimate when the user will arrive atan associated electronic lock 504. In some forms, thecalculation/estimation is determined once the wireless device 502 is ina given range of an associated electronic lock 504. These features canthen enable the electronic lock 504 to auto-unlock as the user arrivesat the door. Other functions may also be incorporated into the system,such as but not limited to automatically opening the door, automaticallyclosing the door behind the user, locking the door behind the user,combinations thereof, and the like.

Use of location determining utilities, such as GPS, can be used for thephone application to determine if the application needs to activelysearch for one or more electronic locks 504 to unlock. The applicationcan know which sites' electronic locks 504 it is allowed to unlock, andif it is nowhere near those sites, then it can auto-disable to conservebattery life. For example, if a wireless device 502 is out of range ofany of the associated electronic locks 504, then the installedapplication may stop looking for these associated electronic locks 504and shut down to conserve battery life on the wireless device 502.

Use of location determining utilities can also allow certain commands toautomatically be sent to the electronic lock 504. For example, ifsomeone walks through a door including an electronic lock 504, the phone502 could be configured to auto-lock the door (e.g. auto-privacy,auto-apartment, or another auto-function) simply based upon who passesthrough the door and any custom configuration programmed into theapplication. In other additional and/or alternative examples, theelectronic lock 504 may also be programmed to do different things whendifferent wireless devices 502 pass through the door or are positionedin proximity to the electronic lock 504. For example, an electronic lock504 may be programmed to auto-lock when a child's wireless device 502enters the home, but not when an adult's wireless device 502 enters thehome.

Given the ability of a smart phone and/or credential to communicaterelative position and speed, an estimate of when a user would be inproximity to an electronic lock 504 and/or would need to interact withan electronic lock 504 can be calculated, thereby enabling the abilityof not just auto-unlock, but also auto-open or other automatic features.

Use of a GPS application in association with a wireless device 502 (suchas a smart phone) can determine if the application needs to activelysearch for electronic locks 504 to unlock. The application can knowwhich sites' electronic locks 504 it is allowed to unlock, and if it isnowhere near those sites, then the application can auto-disable toconserve battery life.

The GPS could also be used during installation to automatically locatethe electronic locks 504 and program/add it into the system. Forexample, after installation of the electronic lock 504, the installercould set the electronic lock 504 up to have knowledge of its ownlocation, either using the GPS or by programming.

Referring to FIG. 6, illustrated therein is an exemplary system 600 thatincludes an automatic unlock device and method, and which includescommunication between an electronic lock 604 and a credential in thepossession of a user. In the illustrated embodiment, the electronic lock604 is incorporated into, or positioned in close proximity to, a door606, as shown at the far right of FIG. 6. The credential may beincorporated into a user card, for example.

The electronic lock 604 may include a long range capability. FIG. 6illustrates one example of a long range capability. The long range isindicated by “initial contact” 610 in FIG. 6, where the credential islocated, for example, at the Position 1 at the far left of the “initialcontact” arrow 610. When the credential is positioned at the long rangerelative to the electronic lock 604, the lock's long range capabilityidentifies (i.e., establishes initial contact with) the credential. Theelectronic lock 604 may then authenticate the credential.

The electronic lock 604 may also include a close proximity rangecapability, as further illustrated in FIG. 6. The close proximity isindicated by “reacquire and unlock” 612 in FIG. 6 where the credentialis located, for example, at the Position 2 to the left of the “reacquireand unlock” arrow 612. When the credential is positioned in the closeproximity range relative to the electronic lock 604, the lock's closeproximity range capability automatically unlocks the electronic lock 604to provide access through the door 606.

In an embodiment, when the credential is fully authenticated and anyother activity is complete, the range at which the lock's closeproximity range capability can unlock the electronic lock 604 can bereduced, as indicated by reduced range 614. In a further embodiment, thetime between the initial presentation of the credential and thecredential's close proximity range to the electronic lock 604 is used,for example, to authenticate, update, and/or pass audits. In stillanother embodiment, the time between unlocking of the electronic lock604 and loss of communication between the electronic lock 604 and thecredential may be used for continuing such updates.

In a further embodiment, the electronic lock 604 delays auto-unlock fromthe time of initial credential presentation until the credential is inthe close proximity range to the electronic lock 604. Thus, access isrestricted/delayed until a time for the user to unlock the electroniclock 604 and pass through the door 606. In another embodiment, thelonger the connection between the initial credential presentation andunlocking of the electronic lock 604, the more time is provided forcomputation, authentication, and/or encryption.

One aspect of the present application may include a method, comprising:receiving via a reader device location information from a mobile device,wherein the location information includes GPS information indicative ofa location of the mobile device, wherein the reader device and themobile device communicate via Bluetooth communication; determining viathe reader device an automatic function to perform based at least inpart upon the location information; and performing via the reader devicethe automatic function.

Features of the aspect of the present application may include: thereader device comprises an electronic lock, the automatic functionincludes locking the electronic lock in response to a first locationinformation, and unlocking the electronic lock in response to a secondlocation information; the first location information indicates themobile device is positioned within an access-controlled region to whichthe electronic lock controls access, and the second location informationindicates the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of theelectronic lock; the second location information further indicates themobile device is not within the access-controlled region; the locationinformation further includes a received signal strength indication(RSSI) information associated with the Bluetooth communication, and thedetermining is further based upon the RSSI information; wherein theautomatic function comprises: a first automatic function performed inresponse to a first location information and a first RSSI information;and a second automatic function performed in response to a secondlocation information and a second RSSI information; the reader device isan electronic lock; the first automatic function is unlocking theelectronic lock, the first RSSI information indicates an increasingRSSI, the second automatic function is locking the electronic lock, andthe second RSSI information indicates an decreasing RSSI.

Another aspect of the present application may include a system,comprising: a mobile device having a GPS receiver; a lock in wirelesscommunication with the mobile device; wherein the mobile device isconfigured to determine location information of the mobile device basedon an output from the GPS receiver and to selectively wirelesslytransmit the location information to the lock; and wherein the lock isconfigured to wirelessly receive the location information from themobile device, to process the location information to determine anaction, and to automatically perform the action.

Features of the aspect of the present application may include: themobile device communicates with the lock wirelessly via Bluetooth; themobile device is a smartphone; the action includes at least one of:wirelessly transmitting a message to a wireless device, locking a door,opening a door, closing a door, and ringing a doorbell; the mobiledevice is configured to wirelessly receive the message from the lock viaBluetooth communication, and the mobile device is further configured totransmit credential information based on the message; the mobile deviceis further configured to sense at least one velocity, acceleration,orientation, and gravitational forces of the mobile device, and thecredential information includes data relating to at least one of thevelocity, acceleration, orientation, and gravitational forces of themobile device; the mobile device is configured to wirelessly transmitthe location information to the lock only when the location informationis within a predetermined distance of the lock.

Yet another aspect of the present application may include an apparatus,comprising: a reader device configured to wirelessly receive locationinformation from a remote access device via Bluetooth communication, toprocess the location information to determine an action, and toautomatically perform the action; and wherein the location informationincludes GPS data related to a location of the remote access device.

Features of the aspect of the present application may include: thelocation information further includes data relating to a speed and adirection of movement of the remote access device, and wherein theaction is determined at least in part upon the speed and the directionof movement of the remote access device; the information furtherincludes credential information, and wherein the action is determined atleast in part upon the credential information; the credentialinformation includes data relating to at least one of velocity,acceleration, orientation, and gravitational forces of the remote accessdevice; the reader device is further configured to select a first actionin response to a first directional acceleration, and to select a secondaction in response to a second directional acceleration.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in thedrawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered asillustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood thatonly the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and thatall changes and modifications that come within the spirit of theinventions are desired to be protected.

It should be understood that while the use of words such as preferable,preferably, preferred or more preferred utilized in the descriptionabove indicate that the feature so described may be more desirable, itnonetheless may not be necessary and embodiments lacking the same may becontemplated as within the scope of the invention, the scope beingdefined by the claims that follow. In reading the claims, it is intendedthat when words such as “a,” “an,” “at least one,” or “at least oneportion” are used there is no intention to limit the claim to only oneitem unless specifically stated to the contrary in the claim. When thelanguage “at least a portion” and/or “a portion” is used the item caninclude a portion and/or the entire item unless specifically stated tothe contrary.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: receiving via a reader device location information from a mobile device, wherein the location information includes GPS information indicative of a location of the mobile device, wherein the reader device and the mobile device communicate via Bluetooth communication; determining via the reader device an automatic function to perform based at least in part upon the location information; and performing via the reader device the automatic function.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reader device comprises an electronic lock, wherein the automatic function includes locking the electronic lock in response to a first location information, and unlocking the electronic lock in response to a second location information.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first location information indicates the mobile device is positioned within an access-controlled region to which the electronic lock controls access, and the second location information indicates the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of the electronic lock.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second location information further indicates the mobile device is not within the access-controlled region.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information further includes a received signal strength indication (RSSI) information associated with the Bluetooth communication, and wherein the determining is further based upon the RSSI information.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the automatic function comprises: a first automatic function performed in response to a first location information and a first RSSI information; and a second automatic function performed in response to a second location information and a second RSSI information.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the reader device is an electronic lock.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first automatic function is unlocking the electronic lock, the first RSSI information indicates an increasing RSSI, the second automatic function is locking the electronic lock, and the second RSSI information indicates an decreasing RSSI.
 9. A system, comprising: a mobile device having a GPS receiver; a lock in wireless communication with the mobile device; wherein the mobile device is configured to determine location information of the mobile device based on an output from the GPS receiver and to selectively wirelessly transmit the location information to the lock; and wherein the lock is configured to wirelessly receive the location information from the mobile device, to process the location information to determine an action, and to automatically perform the action.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the mobile device communicates with the lock wirelessly via Bluetooth.
 11. The system of claim 9, wherein the mobile device is a smartphone.
 12. The system of claim 9, wherein the action includes at least one of: wirelessly transmitting a message to a wireless device, locking a door, opening a door, closing a door, and ringing a doorbell.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the mobile device is configured to wirelessly receive the message from the lock via Bluetooth communication, and the mobile device is further configured to transmit credential information based on the message.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile device is further configured to sense at least one velocity, acceleration, orientation, and gravitational forces of the mobile device, and the credential information includes data relating to at least one of the velocity, acceleration, orientation, and gravitational forces of the mobile device.
 15. The system of claim 9, wherein the mobile device is configured to wirelessly transmit the location information to the lock only when the location information is within a predetermined distance of the lock.
 16. An apparatus, comprising: a reader device configured to wirelessly receive location information from a remote access device via Bluetooth communication, to process the location information to determine an action, and to automatically perform the action; and wherein the location information includes GPS data related to a location of the remote access device.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the location information further includes data relating to a speed and a direction of movement of the remote access device, and wherein the action is determined at least in part upon the speed and the direction of movement of the remote access device.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the information further includes credential information, and wherein the action is determined at least in part upon the credential information.
 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the credential information includes data relating to at least one of velocity, acceleration, orientation, and gravitational forces of the remote access device.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the reader device is further configured to select a first action in response to a first directional acceleration, and to select a second action in response to a second directional acceleration. 